Heyes and Curry on Heyes and Curry
by Victoria Quynn
Summary: Post amnesty, the now former most successful outlaws in the history of the West tell their story.
1. H&C on H&C: Introduction

Heyes and Curry

An Introduction

Having received amnesty recently after a half score years waiting for it; and in light of the many fantastical tales circulating about my partner and me masquerading as so-called dime novels; and with the strong and recent encouragement of Mr. Pierce, publisher of this fine publication; I am grateful for the opportunity, and indeed, necessity, of sitting down and writing my, and my partner's, account of our shared adventures, in an effort to set the record straight.

In that vein, I will attempt to keep my prose precise, and to the point, and not ramble on; indeed, to also not resort to the sensational, improbable, and far-fetched imaginings of the aforementioned dime novels (although my partner, Mr. Curry, is fond of these generally, he is of the opinion that the best use for those written about us is as for kindling; or, if not too dirty, useful on the trail for a certain kind of wiping [I will not expound further on this latter usage in case fairer eyes than the presumed gentlemanly reader finds this by accident]).

I am of particular affection for Mr. Twain, and his style comes most to mind of what I wish to accomplish; although I fear I cannot match that; and even by mere mentioning, that already puts me at a disadvantage. Indeed, his writings, of course, in whatever guise they appear—be they novel, adventure, historical, humor, satire, journalistic, poetic, or otherwise—are of the professional variety, well-polished and worldly, and admired universally; while mine, I fear, will be meager and parochial.

Of other interest to me of late, is the late Mr. Dickens. I had, of occasion, in the past been only a sometime reader of his many serialized stories. His style, in this very humble writer's admittedly limited opinion, seems to be much more detailed, and descriptive, than that of Mr. Twain. Of course, his spelling leaves a lot to be desired to one of less formal education as myself, and my partner; but not so much that his stories are not understandable to the many readers who have enjoyed them through the years on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Contrasted with Mr. Dickens, Mr. Twain's narrative language is that which I, and my partner, speak, and have spoken, every day of our lives; what I understand to be called colloquialism, more or less (according to Mr. Webster's dictionary [that's Noah, not Daniel; and which I don't have on my desk as I write this; but for which memory has to serve]); and it is that very colloquial style of Mr. Twain that I hope to emulate in these writings. Mr. Dickens came to mind because of the serial nature of a lot of his work; our accounts are planned to be on a somewhat regular schedule, given time, and space, constraints; not necessarily continuing chapters as those of Mr. Dickens were, nor as long; but briefer, and, perhaps, more anecdotal.

I see I have already digressed; and this has turned into more essay than introduction. Please forgive me. I was never known for being spare in my language; indeed, I am known for having what is sometimes called a silver tongue; and while that silver tongue might have played an important role in me, and my partner, still being residents of this great planet, and breathing; it was, I'm told, never known for being brief. I resolve to try harder at that pursuit.

I see the time is ticking away for me to finish this; so there will be very little time for editing (which, I'm told, must be done to further polish whatever I commit to paper); or for me to consult with my partner (as I have promised to do), as to the veracity of everything I write in both of our names. The readership may rest assured he has given his permission for me to do this; as he has long permitted me to think for him. We trust each other's judgment implicitly; and, in future articles, I hope the deadline is not so close at hand. It is not with haste that we became the best at what we did; indeed, it was with careful, and precise, planning, and execution (it feels good to be able to use that word in a different meaning than when the banks and railroads offered rewards for us, dead or alive).

Suffice it to say, Hannibal Heyes and Jedediah Curry are now on the right side of the law; as we have been nigh on the last half score years; free of the wanted posters reminding everyone of our past lives as the most successful outlaws in the history of the West (this, I was told; I seek humility in these writings, although my partner says that might be hard for me to accomplish all the time). This will be turned in almost immediately; and, dear readers, please forgive the rambling where none was intended. I will attempt to be briefer, and more precise, and to the point, next time.

Sincerely, and as always, Your Most Humble Servant,

Hannibal Heyes, (now) Esquire


	2. Introduction No 2 -- Curry's Intro

Heyes and Curry

Introduction Number Two

Mr. Pierce told us, that we have some space left to add something short; and asked me, if I wanted to add something, to what Heyes said, in introduction. I read the one, that he mostly wrote himself (with a little help from Mr. Pierce); but, I don't know that I have much to add; because, I don't have the words, or the silver tongue, that my partner does; and, don't run on as much as he does; so, I'll leave most of the talking to him. I'll add something in, where I think things need to be added in. (Mr. Pierce is writing this down, as I'm talking; and editing it, too, to fit the space that's left; so, it's not totally my words, as I said them. I asked him, to add that in; since we're trying to keep everything straight.)

To add to what Heyes said; I like Mr. Twain's stories, too; because they're not too fancy. I've never read any of Mr. Dickens' stories. Like Heyes said, I like dime novels, too; but not the ones written about us.

So I'll just say, hello. Thank you to Mr. Pierce, for giving us this opportunity; to set everything straight; and, for paying us to do it. I hope everybody likes the articles; and, finds them interesting (that last part was from Heyes).

Sincerely,

Jedediah Curry


	3. Our Independence Day

Our Independence Day

Dear Readers,

I find myself staring at a blank piece of paper, unsure of where to start this first real article (after the introductions, of course). Subjects we wish to discuss are many and varied, and the first article must have impact, to set the stage, if you will, for what is to come.

Let me perhaps start by stating what is creed to us: We seek to be the best at what we do, whatever we do, and whenever we do it. That was the case in our old lives, and remains the same now in our new lives. Despite our notoriety as the most successful outlaws in the history of the West (so-called), we never shot anyone in the commission of our crimes. We do not make excuses for what we did; indeed, we enjoyed the planning, execution, and fruits of our labors; and I do believe everyone has a bit of larceny in them. But, to repeat, we always tried to show the utmost respect to the victims of our crimes; and we never shot anyone in the commission of those crimes.

Now, given how successful we were, one might wonder as to why we quit the business. Well, that is easily explained. What turned out to be our last job did not go totally as planned; and, although we got away with the safe, we could not open it. (It pains me somewhat to admit this sad fact, although we now see it as an omen.) Theretofore, we realized technology was getting better; and in the run from the law, we found posses were also getting better, smarter, and more persistent. I am sure the imposition of ten thousand dollar bounties on each of our heads, dead or alive, had something to do with the latter; but, overall, the times were just catching up to us; and, it was only a matter of time before we were caught, incarcerated, or killed.

During our last job, my partner received the gift of a flyer on amnesty from a train passenger; and we later discussed it. Deciding to go for broke in seeking amnesty, we sought help from those we trusted in that endeavor; and a friend and former colleague interceded with the then Territorial Governor of Wyoming to plead our case. We were not sure what the news would be from Cheyenne, but were pleased when our friend returned with news of provisional amnesty for us; with the understanding that full amnesty would be granted in about a year if we maintained ourselves on the right side of the law. What sounded like a good step in the right direction, at first, turned out to be not such a good deal after all—we would still be wanted; and the deal was to be a secret amongst ourselves, our friend, and the Governor.

Being law-abiding was a challenge at first. Whereas, we had been successful and not prone to running out of money; now, suddenly, we found ourselves often penniless, and wondering where our next meal would come from. We took any and every job imaginable in an attempt to make honest money; and had many interesting adventures along the way, many of which we will share within these pages. We had hoped amnesty would indeed come after that first year, as more or less initially stated; but it was never politically expedient; and there was a lot of turnover in the Governor's office over the last decade, which often put us back at the beginning as our friend visited each newly appointed Territorial Governor to present our case yet anew; with the result being the same provisional amnesty and stay out of trouble speech; but, alas, no further movement on our case. Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry became distant memories in some quarters, and the banks and railroads—not to mention, the Governor—liked it that way. We were out of sight, out of mind, and sometimes out of options. Indeed, become law-abiding became a habit; and we never again trod on the wrong side of the law.

This went on for a half score years; until, finally, Wyoming was to be granted Statehood, and the affairs of the Territory were wrapped up; including, granting us the amnesty we had so long awaited. It was, coincidentally, or not, granted on Independence Day—July 4, 1890, almost a week before Statehood was granted on July 10. Some will see irony in that fact; whilst others think it was wrong all along. No matter anyone's opinion on the issue, the fact remains, we are happy to be free to be productive members of society; in all the ways that ordinary citizens are.

We do not necessarily seek the spotlight; but our unique position puts us there; for the moment, at least. The last decade has seen our fame diminish, and fade, as we stayed as inconspicuous as possible and sought anonymity; and we quickly became as a footnote in history. That is, until our amnesty petition was finally granted. As the good people of this newly minted Great State of Wyoming look forward to beginning anew; so, too, do we.

Sincerely, and as always, Your Most Humble Servant,

Hannibal Heyes, (now) Esquire


End file.
